The invention is based on the patent application No. 2000-167071 Pat. filed in Japan, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, which can form images on a normal image display medium such as a normal paper sheet as well as a rewritable and reversible image display medium.
Also, the invention relates to an image forming apparatus, which can form images on a reversible image display having electrodes for image display as well as a reversible image display medium not having such an electrode.
Further, the invention relates to an image forming apparatus which can form images on an image display medium in either of the draft mode and the finish mode.
2. Description of the Background Art
At present, texts, graphics or the like prepared by a computer, a word processor or the like are displayed, for example, on a CRT display or the like, or are displayed by outputting them on a medium such as a paper sheet via a printer or the like.
However, the image display on the display such as a CRT display cannot achieve high resolutions as compared with images displayed, e.g., by printers on paper sheets, and can not display images with sufficiently high clearness and accuracy. Due to relatively low resolution and light emitted from the CRT or the like, an operation viewing images displayed on the CRT or the like for a long time causes fatigue in operator""s eyes.
In contrast to the above, the display of texts and graphics on the image display mediums such as paper sheets can be performed with high clearness and high resolution, and therefore can be easy-on-the-eyes image display.
For the above reasons, texts, graphics and others prepared by the computer, word processor or the like are output onto mediums such as paper sheets by a printer or the like in almost every case even when it is necessary to read only temporarily the text or the like, or the texts are a draft which may be further revised.
The mediums such as paper sheets bearing images are abandoned or burnt when they are no longer required. This results in consumption of a large mount of resources. The printer or the like also consumes a large amount of consumable products or materials such toner, ink or thermal transfer sheets. For obtaining the new display mediums such as paper sheets or the like as well as toner, ink or the like, manufacturing energies and resources are required.
This is contrary to the current demand for reduction in environmental loads.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide an image forming apparatus, which can satisfy demands for reduction in environmental loads relating to required resources, energies and others as compared with conventional image forming apparatuses merely displaying images on normal image display mediums.
More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide an image forming apparatus which can form images on normal image display mediums such as normal paper sheets as well as reversible (i.e., image-writable, image-erasable and image-rewritable) image display mediums, can satisfy current demands for reduction in environmental loads relating to required resources, energies and others owing to image formation on the reversible image display mediums allowing rewriting and therefore repetitive use, and does not cause a substantial problem compared with the conventional image forming apparatus owing to conventional image formation on the normal image display mediums.
Further, an object of the invention is to provide an image forming apparatus which can form images on rewritable and reversible image display mediums, can perform rewritable output and display of images more easily and quickly than output and display of images on the reversible image display mediums depending on situations, can thereby satisfy current demands for reduction in environmental loads relating to required resources, energies and others owing to the rewritable image formation, and can be convenient owing to the image formation on the reversible image display medium as well as output and display of images in an easier and faster manner.
Further, an object of the invention is to provide an image forming apparatus which can form images on image display mediums in a so-called draft mode for forming images in an image state that contributes to reduction in environmental loads relating to required resources, energies and others, can also form images on image display mediums in a so-called finish mode for forming images in an ordinary image state, can satisfy demands for reduction in environmental loads relating to required resources, energies and others owing to image formation in the draft mode, and does not cause a substantial problem compared with the conventional image forming apparatus owing to image formation in the conventional finish mode.
The inventions provides first, second and third types of image forming apparatuses described below.
(1) First Image Forming Apparatus
A first image forming apparatus can output an image on either of normal and reversible image display mediums.
More specifically, the image forming apparatus includes a first image forming portion for forming an image on a normal image display medium, and a second image forming portion for forming an image on a reversible image display medium.
The normal image display medium is a normal paper sheet, a sheet for overhead projector or the like.
The reversible image display medium is a rewritable (i.e., image-writable, image-erasable and image-rewritable) medium such as a reversible image display medium of an electric field drive type or a magnetic drive type, or the like. The reversible image display medium will be described later.
According to this image forming apparatus, images can be formed on either of the normal image display medium and reversible image display medium. Accordingly, images to be displayed only for temporary reading as well as draft images or the like to be further revised, if necessary, can be output and displayed on the reversible image display medium, and can also be output and displayed on the conventional normal image display medium, if necessary. The completed image or the like can be output and displayed on the normal image display medium for long-term preservation, presentations and others, as is done in the prior art. In some cases, the completed images or the like can be output and displayed on the reversible image display medium. As described above, the images can be output and displayed on the reversible image display medium, which is rewritable and therefore can be reusable, so that it is possible to satisfy current demands for reduction in environmental loads relating to required resources, energies and others. Since images can be displayed on the conventional normal image display medium, no substantial disadvantage occurs similarly to the conventional image forming apparatus.
(2) Second Image Forming Apparatus
A second image forming apparatus can form images on rewritable and reversible image displays as well as rewritable and reversible image display mediums.
More specifically, the image forming apparatus includes a first image forming portion for forming an image on a rewritable and reversible image display having at least an electrode among elements for driving an image display region to form an image, and a second image forming portion for forming an image on a reversible image display medium not having an electrode.
The reversible image display having the electrode may be a panel display such as a liquid crystal display, an electro-luminescence display or the like. The reversible image display may have a structure prepared by adding an electrode for image formation to the same structure as the reversible image display medium already described in connection with the image forming apparatus of the first type.
According to this second type image forming apparatus, the image can be formed on the rewritable (i.e., image-writable, image-erasable and image-rewritable) reversible image display medium.
Depending on the situation, images can be output and displayed on the reversible image display, e.g., in such cases that it is desired to determine in advance the image to be output onto the reversible image display medium, and that it is not necessary for the time being to output the image onto the reversible image display medium, but it is merely required to view the image.
The reversible image display medium and the reversible image display are both rewritable so that it is possible to satisfy demands for reduction in environmental loads relating to required resources, energies and others. The reversible image display itself has the electrode, and can be convenient owing to simple and fast image formation.
For example, when it is required to add an image to images already formed, the image can be output onto the reversible image display medium for image addition. If it is desired to view images on multiple pages at a time, the images can be output onto a plurality of multiple reversible image display mediums for viewing them at a time. If it is merely required to view successively multiple pages, this can be achieved by quickly displaying the images on the reversible image display. As described above, the image formation can be performed selectively on the reversible image display medium and the reversible image display depending on the situations. This also affords convenience.
(3) Third Image Forming Apparatus
A third image forming apparatus has a draft mode and a finish mode.
More specifically, the image forming apparatus includes:
an image data storing portion for storing image data;
a draft image forming portion for forming an image on an image display medium in a draft mode;
a finish image forming portion for forming an image on an image display medium in a finish mode; and
a draft image data forming portion for forming draft image data from the image data stored in the image data storing portion, wherein
the draft image forming portion can form the image on the image display medium in accordance with the draft image data formed by the draft image data forming portion, and the finish image forming portion can form the image on the image display medium in accordance with the image data stored in the image data storing portion.
In the draft mode, the image is formed in such a state that contributes to reduction in environmental loads relating to required resources, energies and others. For executing this draft mode, the draft image forming portion forms the draft image data from the image data stored in the image data storing portion.
The draft image data differs from the image data stored in the image data storing portion, and is, for example, image data of a low resolution, monochrome image data (if the original data is color image data), image data of low-level gray scale, image data of a reduced image output area, image data for displaying (outputting) data of multiple pages on one page, image data of reduced image density (e.g., image density of a solid portion) or a combination of at least two of them.
According to this image forming apparatus, the draft image forming portion can form the image on the image display medium in the draft mode for forming the image in the state, which contributes to reduction in environmental loads relating to required resources, energies and others.
Further, the finish image forming portion can form the image on the image display medium in the finish mode for forming the image in the normal image state, and therefore no substantial disadvantage occurs similarly to the conventional image forming apparatus.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.